Eric knew this would be an uphill battle. Outside of Gastly, his other Pokémon simply weren't strong enough. To win, Gastly would have to give it everything.
"Gastly, don't hold back!!"
"Gas!"
Gastly's greatest advantage in this fight was that he was immune to all fighting type attacks. Fighting type energy simply passes through ghost pokemon, just like normal type energy.
"Gastly, Quick Ghost ball!"
Gastly fired a Ghost Ball far faster than in any previous battle.
Since reaching the intermediate level, he had divided the move into 3 versions:
Quick, Strong, and Max power.
Quick Ghost Ball is the weakest, but it charges in just 0.4 seconds and moves about 50% faster than the Strong version.
Strong Ghost Ball packs more power, with a 0.7-second charge time and slower speed.
Max Power Ghost Ball is significantly larger and stronger than the Strong version, but takes a full second to use.
Gastly can fire 2 Ghost balls simultaneously, but not if he is using the Max power version, and is slightly slower than using just 1 (0.6 seconds for quick, 0.8 seconds for strong).
The ghost Ball shot towards Machoke like a bullet, but surprisingly Machoke dodged it! He had begun to move even before Gastly launched his attack.
"Machoke, hit him with a knock off!"
Machoke charged at Gastly with surprising speed. There was a considerable distance between them, and Gastly was floating in the air. The tactic seemed foolish to Eric, but he didn't lower his guard.
"Gastly, Twin Ghost ball"
Gastly created two Ghost Balls and fired them one after another. Machoke sidestepped the first.
Gastly fired the second, but Machoke predicted it and dodged again.
"Tch- Keep firing Gastly."
This exchange happened 2 more times, but the Machoke evaded them all. It's like he could sense the attack's trajectory even before it was fired. Was this some kind of trick fighting Pokemon can use?
'If that's how you wanna play it, then fine.'
Machoke reached Gastly and swung a Dark-infused Knock Off.
"Gastly, protect then hit him with a twin strong Ghost ball! "
Gastly surrounded himself with a protective barrier, which shattered after a brief resistance.
But that was enough for Gastly to move sideways to dodge, and simultaneously fire 2 strong Ghost balls at close range.
"Machoke, deflect them with Knock off!"
Machoke shrouded his hand with dark type energy, but he wasn't fast enough at this close range. He partially blocked one Ghost Ball but was struck by the other, sending him flying.
"Machoke!"
Leo was surprised at the power of this ghost Ball. He looked like a musclehead, but he wasn't stupid. He had studied Eric's previous battles. The speed of the earlier Ghost Balls and the power of this one told him everything: Gastly's move was at the intermediate level.
Machoke too had moves on that level, but they weren't effective against a Ghost type Pokemon.
Machoke took considerable damage, however Gastly had already used Protect. A similar maneuver couldn't be done again.
"Gastly, into the shadows!"
Gastly hid himself into the shadows, leaving a confused Machoke.
"Machoke, stay calm and sharpen your senses! Rely on your chi rather than your eyes!" Armstrong commanded.
"Chi?" Eric questioned, hearing that word the first time in this world. But based on his understanding, he can now guess how Machoke was dodging those attacks.
'Now!'
Gastly appeared behind Machoke and instantly fired 2 Ghost balls. But Machoke anticipated even that, and leapt up to dodge them.
"Knock off!"
"Dodge and fire again!"
Machoke dove towards Gastly with his arm covered in Dark type energy. Gastly dashed sideways and fired two Quick Ghost Balls. Machoke deflected one with his still-energized arm but was hit by the second.
"Show them your fighting spirit Machoke! Don't falter and keep attacking!"
Machoke pushed through the pain and continued charging. He took a direct hit but refused to stop, and reached towards Gastly.
"Gastly, Dodge!"
Gastly was caught off guard but still moved to evade. Machoke predicted the movement, twisted his arm, and landed a partial blow.
The partial hit dealt major damage, but Gastly stood his ground and fired a Quick Ghost Ball at point-blank range.
This time, Machoke couldn't power through, and was knocked back.
Gastly then fired another Ghost Ball while Machoke was still air-borne, knocking him unconscious.
"Machoke is unable to continue, Gastly wins."
Leo returned Machoke to his Pokeball, "You did good, partner."
He reached for another Poké Ball. "Now it's your turn, Hariyama!"
Pokémon: Hariyama
Gender: Male
Level: 26
Type: fighting
Ability: Guts
Held Item: None
Potential: Deep Green
Moves: Tackle, Brine, Arm thrust, Sand attack, Fakeout, force palm, whirlwind, knock off, bulk up, belly drum, detect, cross chop, bullet punch, dynamic punch, focus blast, thunder Punch
Eric looked at Hariyama seriously. To win this fight, Gastly will have to defeat him as well. Otherwise, even if Spearow manages to defeat a weakened Hariyama, she and Poliwag have no chance of beating Leo's third Pokemon.
"Gastly, Twin Ghost Ball"
As soon as Hariyama appeared, Eric ordered Gastly to attack immediately. Given his size, he doubted Hariyama could dodge like Machoke. But what Hariyama did next surprised him.
Hariyana covered his massive hand in Dark type energy and blocked the Ghost balls, taking negligible damage.
Base stats did not work like they did in the game. For example, the strength of Gastly's attacks is based on the density of the Ghost type energy inside him. His Special attack stat can be considered as a talent or affinity. Meaning he will be more talented generally than a pokemon with a lower Special Attack stat.
This doesn't take into consideration a Pokemon's physical features, however. For example, an Aggron will always be tanky due to its steel body. Beyond that, a high Defense stat means greater talent at using energy defensively, combined with natural bulk.
Pokémon with high HP stats, like this Hariyama, are naturally very sturdy. Training can enhance that quality even further.
Leo's Hariyama possessed excellent natural bulk. Moreover, he had trained to use his attacks defensively, making him incredibly difficult to take down…